Teams leave the Pit top in Delhi in the order they check-in.1. Nick & Starr 10:14pm2. Toni & Dallas 10:24pm3. Terence & Sarah 10:43pm4. Ken & Tina 11:48pm5. Andrew & Dan 12:00am (?) is midnight am or pm help) It is now the 9th of May.

RI: Fly to Almaty, Kazakhstan

Teams must now fly 1000 miles to the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan (and boy they fly a lot more then that). When they land they’ll travel by taxi to the Alel Agro Chicken Factory and search for their next clue.

Nick & Star and Toni & Dallas go directly to a hotel and use the staff and internet to book reservations.

TK1414 departs SVO at 1340 arrives in Istanbul (IST) at 1555**TK1352 departs IST at 1700 arrives in ALA at 120 on the 10th of May.* Well we know for sure that Terence & Sarah make it as far as Russia. He, he.** This is the best route I could find that matches their departure flight and their arrival time.

Teams arrive at the Alel Agro Chicken Factory and discover an hours of Operation. It is open at 7:30am to 8:oopm. Teams wait outside the gate, and as 7:30 approaches they don’t think Andrew & Dan will make it. They do.

They also have cabs outside waiting (I assume the teams called them).

At 7:30am the gates are opened and the teams make a mad dash to the cluebox. Teams get their clues in the following order.1. Nick & Starr (thanks to Nick taking Dan’s clue, who was first at the clue box)2. Andrew & Dan3. Toni & Dallas4. Ken & Tina5. Terence & Sarah

Roadblock: “Who’s feeling Peckish?”

A Roadblock is a task that only one person can perform. In this Roadblock that person will have a close encounter of the bird kind.

They’ll enter the marked chicken shack and search among 30,000 chickens to one of only 7 golden eggs. When they find a golden egg, they’ll receive their next clue.

Team members who perform this Roadblock are:AndrewToniTinaAnd eventually Sarah

Fast Forward

This is 2nd of only two Fast Forwards hidden on the entire race. The 1st team that finds it and completes it can skip all tasks and go directly to the Pit Stop.

In this Fast Forward teams travel by taxi to this local restaurant where they’ll join in a traditional Kazakh feast. What they’ll find out is that the main ingredient is the fat from the rear of a sheep. When both team members finish eating their serving they’ll win the Fast Forward reward.

Nick & Starr and Terence & Sarah make their way to the Fast Forward. Sarah isn’t sure that it’s a good idea, but Terence is convinced it is. At this point they have no idea it’s a food challenge.

Teams get suited up and get to the marked chicken shack in the following order.1. Andrew & Dan2. Toni & Dallas3. Ken & Tina4. And of course much later Terence & Sarah

Teams find a golden egg in the following order.1. Toni2. Andrew3. Tina4. Sarah

RI: Searchthe grounds for the giant crane trucks. Then, travel by truck to the Koktobe Arch, at the foothills of the Tienshan Mountains.

Once there follow the marked path to the Mongol Warriors. Your warrior will lead you up the hill, where you will wait for your next clue.

There are only two Mongol Warriors. First come, First served.

Teams get to the crane trucks in the following order.1. Toni & Dallas (who leave before the others arrive)2. Ken & Tina3. Andrew & Dan4. And much later Terence & Sarah

Nick & Star and Terence & Sarah arrive at the restaurant find a seat and pick up the menu which states:Party on Fast Forward style: Each of you order a traditional Kazakh entrée on the menu and eat your entire serving to win the Fast Forward reward.

Starr states that at the bottom of the menu were details of what you were actually eating.

What is very distracting is the cooked sheep’s egad that is picked at and eat at your table with you.

We learn that Terence is a vegetarian who hasn’t ate meat in 15 years.

On the road Toni & Dallas as hoping that Nick & Starr win the reward. While I understand it since it’s a team they like, on a practical level they should hope its Terence & Sarah who win.

Teams have to direct their crane trucks to the Koktobe Arch. They arrive there in the following order.1. Toni & Dallas2. Ken & Tina (arrive as Toni & Dallas are finished and coming down the hill)3. Andrew & Dan (who have great trouble finding directions and lose a lot of time)4. Terence & Sarah (at some later point)

Teams climb the hill (which is a ways) to the Mongol Warriors who then escort them to a field where an Eagle (though I would have thought a Falcon or Hawk, but it appears to large) delivers them their next clue.1. Toni & Dallas2. Ken & Tina3. Andrew & Dan4. Terence & Sarah

Detour: Play like Mad or Act like Fools

In this Detour teams have to choose between two tasks linked to Kazakhstan’s long history of folk art. The choice: Play like Mad or Act like Fools.

In Play like Mad teams travel by taxi to the Museum of Folk Musical Instruments where they must learn to play a simple Kazakh tune using two traditional instruments the Dombra and the Shan Koby. When their cute instructor feels they have learnt the song well enough he’ll send them to the park to play for tips. And they must earn the equivalent of $1.50 US dollars to also earn their next clue. *

* Oh the good ole years when I actually thought they (the production) didn’t hire locals to pay them.

In Act like Fools teams travel y taxi to this children’s puppet theatre, find the wardrobe department and put on a two-piece cow costume. Then, dressed as a cow they must walk the streets of Almaty to a marked stall (they give the street corer, but I have no bloody clue) and drink a glass of Milk. Once they have finished the milk, they’ll find the name of their next destination on the bottom of the glass. Teams must travel is costume, once there, they’ll locate the butchers stall and deliver themselves up to the butcher for their next clue.

A Partial Copy of the Detour Clue:Act Like Fools or Play Like Mad

Act Like Fools: Travel by taxi to State Children’s Puppet theatre near Panfilov Park. Once there, find the wardrobe department, choose a 2-person cow costume and put it on. Then. Make your way 4 blocks to the marked stall. Once there, drink a glass of milk to reveal your next clue.

Play Like Mad: Travel by taxi to the Museum of Kazakh National Instruments near Panfilov Park. Once there, learn to play a simple tune using two traditional Kazakh Instruments: a Dombra and a Shan Kobya. Then, set up at Panfilov Park and play for tips. Earn 200 tenga to earn your next clue.

All teams choose Act like Fools and the editors and viewers thank them for it.

At the Fast Forward Starr has nearly finished her plate, when Terence quits, offers them congratulations and back track to the chicken Factory.

Toni & Dallas and Ken & Tina are on their way to the Detour when Terence & Sarah are starting back to the Chicken Factory. I like that Terence is aware of the mistakes he made at the Fast Forward. 1. Not leaving when it was apparent that it was a food challenge with meat. And 2. Insisting that they go for the Fast Forward in the first place.

Nick & Starr complete the Fast Forward.

Travel by taxi (what no helicopter) to Panfilov Park.

Having won the Fast Forward Nick & Starr may now skip all tasks and go directly to the Pit Stop, Old Square.

On the cab ride to Panfilov Park, they discover that Nick has left his AR fanny pack back at the restaurant. They have to return to get it. This is the 2nd time on the race that Nick has forgotten the pack.

Andrew & Dan are still having terrible time locating Koktobe Arch.Quote: “What’s wrong with people here, they’re like Zombies, these are horrible people”

Teams arrive at the Detour location in the following order.1. Toni & Dallas2. Ken & Tina3. Andrew & Dan4. Terence & SarahQuote by Dallas: “Yeah, I’m going to make my Mom be the Ass of the cow” and soon as he has his costume on “Mooooo.”

As Ken & Tina leave the Puppet theatre Ken also Moos, and Tina tells him to calm down. Killjoy.

Quote from Dallas: “Wag the tail. BE a good ass. Mooo”

Editorial Note: I am in love.

Moo…Moo…Moooooo

Andrew & Dan finally reach the Koktobe Arch and make their way up the hill. They then have the “great Andrew versus Dan walking debate”

Andrew thinks that Dan should slow down and stay with him. Dan thinks Andrew should keep a faster pace, he even offers to carry Andrew’s pack.

A: I just ask that you walk with me.D: But it’s a slow pace. I just want to walk at a quicker pace.A: Were a team, you walk with me.

On this Dan is absolutely right. You want to make up as much time up as possible and the fact that he is offering to carry an extra burden and is shoot down is wrong.

Terence & Sarah pay a local driver to guide their crane truck to Koktobe Arch. It’s a smart decision. And even if they don’t have any money remaining from their huge gift earlier this season, they have nothing to lose.

At the corner, Dallas doesn’t see the marked stand and walks right past it.

Tina does see it, she drinks the milk. She asks for a clue and when she doesn’t get one, they walk away thinking its the wrong milk stand.

Dallas turns around when he discovers they have gone to far, and does find the stand. HE drinks the milk and asks for a clue. Toni gets him to read the clue and he checks the glass and discovers the clue.

RI: Zelyonly Bazarmeat sectionMarked Stall

They proceed.

Tina returns after guessing the clue might be on the glass. She finds it. And they take off back to the Puppet theatre to change out of the cow costume. At the Wardrobe department Ken asks if they are supposed to get rid of the costumes, Tina says she thinks they are. No one checks the clue.

Quote by Dallas: “Moooo….” As he kicks.Quote by Toni: “It’s all about the butt shakes”

Editorial: Again I love this team. From that kiss on the check at the starting line this team hasn’t disappointed me, yet (tonight just might kill me). LOVE THEM.

Teams get to the marked meat counter in the following order.1. Toni & Dallas2. Ken & Tina – Dallas tells Ken & Tina they need their costume, since they are at the meat counter they try any way. They are sent back to the puppet theatre to change back into the cow costume and return to the meat counter to finish the detour.3. Andrew & Dan – Andrew & Dan leave their shoes at the Puppet Theatre. They pay a cab driver to walk them through the detour.4. Terence & Sarah – also get someone to guide them through the detour.

RI: Make your way on foot to the next Pit Stop, Old Square.

Note #1: Old Square in Cyrillic is___________*

Note #2: You should bring your cow head or dombra to the check –in mat with you.

Warning! The last team to check-in may be eliminated.

Andrew & Dan get their cab driver to take them to the Pit Stop.

Teams must now make their way on foot through the booming modern city and find this place, Old Square. This public plaza in the oldest part of the city is the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. The last team to check-in may be eliminated.

Teams get to the Pit Stop in the following order.1. Nick & Star who each win 180 horsepower Waveriders.2. 2. Toni & Dallas3. Ken & Tina4. Andrew & Dan who cannot check in and must return to the end of the detour and walk back to the Pit Stop.

They mange to find a cab back, and begin walking to the Pit Stop. While they are walking they get lost (funny since they been that way now twice) and complain that they should have returned for their shoes since the costume’s boots aren’t comfortable and make it difficult (in Andrews case impossible) to run.

Terence & Sarah make good time from the detour to the Pit Stop.4. But it is Andrew & Dan who do officially check-in with 4th position.5. Terence & Sarah

Terence & Sarah are eliminated from the race.

Andrew & Dan lose their shoes as this was not a leg where production takes control of your excess possessions.

I have a comment about the value of money and relative wealth in Almaty Kazahstan vs. the same in Moscow. The requirement for teams selecting the DETOUR nobody chose was 150 tenga. 120 tenga was $1 on 5/13/08. So teams would have been raising the huge sum of $1.25. In Moscow the minimum cost of a taxi was 400 rubles(although trams were only 25 rubles). At the May 2008 exchange rate of 23.8 rubles/dollar that means the taxi costs at least $16.80. Maybe it is unfair to compare taxi costs with totals tips for musical performances, but it appears to be a an order of magnitude different.